Notes / Commercial Description:
Downpour balances on the boarder between malt and huge hop flavors, much like the balance between warm summer days and the bitter cold thunderstorms we get here in the high country of Colorado. The beer pours a hazy redwood red with a white fluffy head. Hops dominate the nose with pine, earth, and grapefruit balanced slightly by caramel malt flavors and hints of our fruity London Ale yeast. The beer hits the palate with bitter hop notes of pine and is balanced by bready malt. A beer for the hop freaks among us.

User Reviews

Thanks to GRG1313 for sharing this one at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Bottle # 00372. Bottled Fall 2012.

Pours a hazy dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and grapefruit juice. Taste is much the same with an earthy citrus zest flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some solid aromas and flavors.

a wonderful new one from elevation, who seems to have a pretty good thing going here. this imperial red pours rich copper to light amber in color, thick, with about two inches of white head thats lasts awhile. the nose is very enticing, semisweet from the red malt and a touch of vanilla, as well as just enough alcohol. flavor is great, really different for a red, less sugary overtones from the malt, more of an earthy flavor to it, mellow and rustic, and the yeast imparts some gentle spice, as does what must be a bit of rye malt, really rounds things out. again a hint of vanilla in the finish, and some citrusy hops as well. very well made glass of beer here. there is just enough carbonation, this beer has a very creamy texture, smooth and expansive, fuller bodied but not heavy, and the finish is really complex. overall a fantastic glass of brew.

Interesting to see the label photo describing this as an Imperial Red Ale, since it's now heralded as "fresh hop extra India Pale ale." But it's still an amber color in the tulip glass with a frothy but coarse head. Plenty of flowery and resiny hop aromas. Spritzy on the tongue.

Lots of malt, a pleasant sudsy mouthfeel, and acres of aromatic hops. The bitterness gets to be a bit much, but it's part of the really big picture of this sprawling brew. Some dank and leafy hops, plenty of acidity, and a long browned biscuit aftertaste, though of course the hop afterburner is turned on.

Overall, this is very drinkable, or at least sippable, but it's on the raw side. The label warns "Do not age!" pointing to the date of 09/17/13, but I"ve had it in the cool crawl space for four months. It tastes like something Stone would be proud of. From the silly corked and caged bottle bought at Grapevine Liquors in Denver.

This is a very nice Imp Red from Elevation. Pours, well, red. Ruby brightness with a full fluffy white head.

Aroma is sharp and balanced. Biscuit and hops; citrus with some pine. Dark cherries. The biscuit is a solid foundation in the taste, anchoring the hops quite well. Caramel hints, some of those dark cherries. Citrus and woody hops. Nice bite with this one, drank quite well to ring in 2013. One of the better reds i've had

Crystal-clear, honey-colored body with a very thick, very creamy head, complete with sticky lacing all down the glass. A wonderfully pungent hop aroma slightly edges out the malt notes; orange, melon, pear; very floral. Hop bitterness also barely wins out over a deliciously warm malt backbone; the bitterness sharpens greatly towards the finish. Medium bodied; a tad over-carbonated; crisp and dry finish.

This is an eye-popping, powerhouse of a beer. There is a nice malt flavor overall with the hops providing a rather intense aroma and bitterness. It's just a smidge unbalanced with too much hop bitterness and bite, but nothing overly negative within the grand scheme of things. A great beer with some deep malt and hop complexity.

T – Sweet again initially, but does get balanced out by nice earth and herbal tones here; pine-cone, nutty and somewhat astringent and the yeast plays a bigger part here.

M – Surprisingly light for an imperial. Though it is not thin. Finish is long and lasting and allows more flavors to develop.

O – Quite an interesting take on the style. This is quite balanced and nicely so. This beer is a thinker, it has such depth and complexities that it takes a bit to take it all in; it is all worth the wait.

Pours amber with a huge, thick frothy cream colored head and nice lacing. A great aroma marrying the hops and malts; caramel and bready, just a tease of toffee, some nice citrus (grapefruit and lemon zest), and a touch of some pine. Flavor is more piney than citric on top of a sweet caramel and bready base with some teasings of toffee. A active, not quite medium body, that gets this beer to drink very quick. Overall, another solid beer by Elevation.

This beer pours a deep, ruby-red, and it is capped with a creamy, off-white colored head that provides plenty of lacing. sweet malt aromas quickly give way to the hoppier side of things with citrus and piney aromas taking turns. Sweet caramel malt flavors open on the palate before being met with mostly pine resin and spruce tip hop flavors. A big hop bitterness bite accompanies this medium bodied, moderately carbonated brew.